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Human Resources Specialist Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of human resources specialists are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of human resources specialists within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The human resources specialists annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Human Resources Specialist Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$39,340
25th Percentile Wage
$49,160
50th Percentile Wage
$64,240
75th Percentile Wage
$86,280
90th Percentile Wage
$116,060

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for human resources specialists. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) human resources specialists is $116,060. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $64,240. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $39,340. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 195% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of human resources specialists from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$64,240
3.04% 13.14%
2021
$62,290
-1.93% -
2020
$63,490
2.47% -
2019
$61,920
1.68% -
2018
$60,880
0.87% -
2017
$60,350
1.94% -
2016
$59,180
1.40% -
2015
$58,350
1.59% -
2014
$57,420
1.38% -
2013
$56,630
1.47% -
2012
$55,800
- -

Table 2. Human Resources Specialist Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of human resources specialists in 20 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for human resources specialists occupations is the information sector with an annual salary $90,230. The lowest paying sector is the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector (annual salary $51,220).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Information
$90,230
Utilities
$84,990
Finance and Insurance
$78,830
Mining
$78,010
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$77,460
Federal, State, and Local Government
$75,440
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$74,920
Manufacturing
$73,710
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$72,780
Wholesale Trade
$71,380
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$65,060
Construction
$64,300
Educational Services
$62,770
Transportation and Warehousing
$60,100
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$59,070
Health Care and Social Assistance
$58,920
Accommodation and Food Services
$57,990
Retail Trade
$53,820
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$51,390
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
$51,220

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Human Resources Specialists by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only human resources specialists salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of human resources specialists in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $37,280 to $101,090. The highest paying state for human resources specialists is District of Columbia with a median annual salary of $101,090. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $37,280. For more salary information of human resources specialists profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
District of Columbia
$101,090
Washington
$79,620
New Jersey
$78,990
New York
$78,010
California
$77,470
Maryland
$75,690
Massachusetts
$75,460
Colorado
$74,540
Virginia
$72,640
Rhode Island
$71,990
Connecticut
$71,140
Minnesota
$70,320
Maine
$65,970
Delaware
$65,200
Vermont
$64,860
Oregon
$64,450
Alaska
$64,350
Illinois
$63,220
North Dakota
$62,720
Ohio
$62,580
New Hampshire
$62,410
Michigan
$62,100
North Carolina
$61,670
Arizona
$61,630
Wisconsin
$61,560
Hawaii
$61,460
Texas
$61,280
Pennsylvania
$60,920
Idaho
$60,880
Kansas
$60,370
Iowa
$60,300
Florida
$60,210
Kentucky
$60,200
Georgia
$59,810
Nevada
$59,660
South Carolina
$59,380
Missouri
$59,110
Utah
$58,430
Indiana
$58,270
Alabama
$58,250
New Mexico
$57,820
South Dakota
$57,680
West Virginia
$56,680
Tennessee
$56,190
Wyoming
$55,430
Oklahoma
$55,160
Nebraska
$55,000
Montana
$54,790
Louisiana
$53,240
Guam
$51,390
Arkansas
$50,830
Virgin Islands
$50,670
Mississippi
$48,180
Puerto Rico
$37,280